Slide fasteners



March 31, 1970 MITSUO lNAZ-AWA 7 3,503,102

' SLIDEVFASTENERS- Filed March 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MIT $00 INAZA WA BY g/ 1 57% ATTORNEYS March 31, 1970 MITSUO INAZAWA 3,503,102

SLIDE FASTENERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1967 INVENT OR Nmsuo INAZAWA 0440 Tare.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,503,102 SLIDE FASTENERS Mitsuo Inazawa, Kurobe-shi, Japan, assignor to Yoshida Kogyo K.K., Tokyo, Japan Filed Mar. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 621,508 Claims priority, application Japan, Apr. 13, 1966,

41/3 1,070; Apr. 18, 1966, ll/24,490

Int. Cl. A44b 19/02 US. Cl. 24-20511 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A slide fastener comprising a pair of stringer tapes carrying rows of continuous plastic fastener elements interlockable by a slider. A terminal fastener element on each tape stringer is provided with a blank, linear end extension which is anchored to the tape thereby preventing the terminal element from shifting away from the stitching which holds it to the tape.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to slide fasteners or zippers of the type comprising continuous interlocking elements of plastic material attached to a pair of stringer tapes or stringers having a separable stop member, such plastic elements being of a coil or meandering form.

More particularly, the invention is concerned with a slide fastener construction utilizing a fastener element chain of the type comprising linear, non-convolution portions interposed at suitable intervals between the successive convolutions of the coil elements.

Still more particularly, the invention is concerned in particular with means for securing in particular the first meshing or terminal elements to the respective stringers against shifting away from the stitching which holds the elements to the tape.

With slide fasteners of the conventional class, it has been observed that the terminal or first meshing elements on the opposing stringers of the fastener are susceptible to lateral displacement or departure from the sewing threads due to repeated opening and closing of the stringers by a reciprocating slider.

Positional stability and proper alignment of the first meshing elements immediately above the separator or separable stop member of the fastener are essential to orderly, smooth meshing of the rest of the row elements arranged along the edges of the stringers.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide new and useful means for preventing the first meshing or terminal one of each row of interlocking elements from shifting away from the stitching of the tape under repeated coupling and uncoupling of the stringers by a reciprocating slider.

It is another object of the invention to provide a separable fastener stop or separator including means of securely retaining it in position against lateral departure from the stringer tape which would otherwise result from forced opening and closing of the fastener under increased tension.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be best understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of the bottom portion of a slide fastener of the type employing meander or zigzag plastic elements with a pin part inserted halfway into a box part of a separator;

3,503,102 Patented Mar. 31, 1970 FIG. 2 is a view, similar but reverse to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line I-I of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line IIII of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, but showing the case where a coil element is employed;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line III-III of FIG. 5 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line IVIV of FIG. 5 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 8 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, showing the pin and box parts of the separator fully coupled;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic reverse view of the bottom portion of the fastener corresponding to FIG. 2, showing one of the stringer tapes with the meandering terminal element extended along and anchored to the edge portion of the tape opposite to the beaded side of the stitching;

FIG. 10 is a view, similar to FIG. 9, but showing the coil element extended and anchored to the edge portion of the tape along the beaded side of the stitching; and

FIG. 11 is a fastener element chain having a linear spacing at suitable intervals which is preferably used in accordance with the invention.

The slide fastener show has a pair of flat fabric tapes T, each having an inner marginal edge 10 along which is arranged a row of closely spaced and aligned interlocking elements E. The rows of continuous plastic elements E are attached to the respective stringer tapes by suitable stitching, e.g. two-thread chain stitching as illustrated in the drawings. The stitching S extends substantially as far down as the lower end of bottom space portion T of each stringer, while the terminal of first meshing element E similarly extends, without being cut at the top end of the space portion T as in conventional practice, on one or the other side of the stringer depending upon the form of the fastener element used. More specifically, as in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the terminal element E of a meandering form extends substantially linearly, as seen at 11, along the edge portions of each stringer which underlies the beaded side of the stitching S. This will be better understood from FIG. 9.

Each stringer tape T has its bottom or space portion T devoid of interlocking elements B, said portion T being reinforced in the first embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 by injection-moulding as at 12 integrally with the separator when the latter is attached to the tape. Alternatively, as in the case of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 and later described, the bottom space portion T of each stringer may be reinforced with suitable material such as a plastic film 18 which is folded around the marginal edge of said portion T, the terminal element extension 11 and the stitching S, and adhesively secured to the tape with heat and pressure or with use of an adhesive compound.

In the first embodiment, the terminal element extension 11 forms a ridge or swollen part 13 along the back edge portion of each space stringer bottom space portions T, while the stitching S at its beaded side forms a similar ridge 14 along the front edge portion of the stringer T, thus producing a cross-sectionally flared end 15 as seen from FIGS. 3 and 4. This flare or swollen end portion 15 offers the advantage that the stringer tape portion T is gripped firmly enough at that portion by the pin member 16 and box member 17 of the separator when the latter are moulded to the tapes. This advantage accrues secondarily from achieving the primary object of the present invention which resides in preventing the terminal element E from shifting away from the stitching S by anchoring its extension 11 to the tape along the inner edge portion 10 of the reinforced stringer portion T.

As already stated, the side of the reinforced tape portion T to which the extension 11 of the element E is attached, may depend upon the form of continuous interlocking elements E used.

With a meandering or zigzag form of element as is the case with the first embodiment above described in connection with FIGS. 1-4, the extension 11 of the terminal element B may be conveniently arranged along the edge portion of each stringer opposite to the beaded side of the stitching S. Whereas, with a coil form of element as is the case with the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 57, the element terminates on the same side of the tape with the beaded face of the stitching S as the coil element is sewn usually onto one side of the stringer, different from the meandering element. In the second embodiment, therefore, the extension 11 of the coil terminal element E is arranged alongside the beaded face of the stitching S as seen at FIG. 10, and secured with a plastic film 18 to the bottom space portion T of the stringer, whereupon there is formed a flared or swollen part 15 along the marginal edge portion of the stringer as crosssectionally shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. This swollen part, in a manner similar to that of the first embodiment, will serve to grip securely thereat the pin part 16 or box part 17 of the separator When the latter is anchored to the tape.

The separable bottom stop or separator attached to the reinforced tape bottom space portions T may be of the usual construction including a pin member 16 having a ridge portion 20 and a box-like retainer 17 having a groove 21 for slidable engagement with the ridge 20. The pin member 16 of the separator is further provided with a lug 22 at one end of the ridge portion 20 for abutting engagement with the first meshing or terminal element E on the box side of the stringer tapes. Separators of this type are well known and hence, will require no further description. It is to be noted, however, that the separator acceptable for implementing the present invention may be made either from plastic or metallic material, as the case may be. The fastener, of course, is opened and closed by a common form of reciprocating slider 30.

While certain specific embodiments of the invention are herein shown and described, it will also be under stood that the invention is not limited thereto, but some modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. e

As for an example, although it is preferred according to the invention to use a fastener element chain of the type shown in FIG. 11 which has linear, blank portions 31 interposed at suitable intervals between series of interlocking elements of either a coil or meandering form as said blank portions 31 may be readily utilized as anchoring extension 11 of the terminal element E in the manner described, it will be possible to elongate a certain number of individual elements of any existing configuration and form a linear strip corresponding to the extension 11 of the terminal element B.

As for another example, the extension 11 of the terminal element B may be of any length sufiicient to relieve the local strain at the terminal element E.

What is claimed is:

1. A slide fastener of the separating end type, comprising a pair of stringer tapes each having a separating end portion, a row of continuous fastener elements located along one longitudinally extending edge of said stringer tapes and adapted to be interengaged by a reciprocating slider, a separator for securing the separating end portions of said stringer tapes together and comprising a box secured to the separating end portion of one of said tapes and a pin member secured to the separating end portion of the Other of said tapes, a portion of each said row of fastener elements having a sinuous configuration for the extent of its interengagement with the other said row of fastener elements, the portion of said rows of fastener elements having the sinuous configuration terminating at one end adjacent to but spaced from the separating end portion end of said stringer tapes, a rectilinear extension of said rows of fastener elements extending from said portion thereof having the sinuous configuration adjacent the separating end along the separating end portion thereof to approximately the end of said stringer tape which is secured within one of said box and said pin member, said rectilinear extension extending in the longitudinal direction of said stringer tape and being disposed in spaced relationship from the longitudinal edge of said stringer tape, thread means being arranged for stitching said portion of said rows of fastener elements having sinuous configuration to said stringer tape and said threaded means being stitched to said stringer tapes from the end of said sinuous configuration portion along the separating end portion thereof and forming a bead of stitching located thereon adjacent said rectilinear extension, said bead of stitching and said rectilinear extension forming a protuberance along at least one side of the separating end portion of said stringer tapes, and reinforcing means being arranged on the separating end portions of said stringer tapes and incorporating said protuberance formed thereon.

2. A slide fastener, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bead of stitching and said rectilinear extension are located on one side of the separating end portion of each of said tapes in side-by-side relationship forming said protuberance thereon.

3. A slide fastener, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bead of stitching and said rectilinear extension are disposed on opposite sides of the separating end portion of each of said tapes for forming said protuberance extending from both sides of said separating end portion of each said tapes. I

4. A slide fastener, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing means comprises a molding material formed onto the separating end portion of each of said stringer tapes and incorporating therein said rectilinear extension and said bead of stitching and being disposed within one of said box and pin member of said separator.

5. A slide fastener, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing means comprises a plastic film forming a coating on the surface of said separating end portion of each of said tapes and enclosing thereon said rectilinear extension and said bead of stitching and being disposed within one of said box and pin member of said separator.

6. A slide fastener as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rows of continuous fastener element being formed of a plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,162,918 12/ 1964 Burbank 24-205 .1 1 3,190,779 6/ 1965 Porepp.

FOREIGN PATENTS 87,313 6/1966 France.

(IRE addition of 1,429,354) 1,469,784 1/ 1967 France. 1,213,655 3/ 1966 Germany. 259,598 1 1964 Australia. 622,231 4/1949 Great Britain. 988,659 4/1965 Great Britain. 1,024,733 3/1966 Great Britain.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner U.S, Cl. X.R, 24-20516 

